Free Chance To Dump Electronic Waste

Burns Says Landfills For Organic Waste

PRAIRIE GROVE — Recycled parts from electronic waste include plastics, steel, copper and circuitry boards, according to Dewayne Burns, chief executive officer with eSCO Processing and Recycling in Rogers.

Boston Mountain Solid Waste District is accepting electronic waste at no fee through the end of business day, Friday, Jan. 16. The district will accept up to 10 items at no charge.

The usual fee is $5 per item. The district’s facility is located at 11398 Bond Road in Prairie Grove.

Burns said the Rogers’ facility receives an average of 2 million pounds a month in electronic waste.

For 2014, the facility took in 24 million pounds.

Robyn Reed, director of Boston Mountain Solid Waste District, said the district has received old computers, old television sets, lots of big screen TVs, microwaves, printers and remote control devices.

As a larger trailer fills up, it is then hauled to eSCO.

Burns said electronic waste is anything with a cord on it, any electric item that plugs into a 120 volt outlet and does not carry fluids. The Rogers’ business is not licensed to take items such as refrigerators or air units.

The plant takes each item and dismantles it using a reverse “disassembly” line, Burns said.

“We take it apart piece by piece.”

According to the eSCO website, the company ensures that all data is destroyed on the elec- tronic components. The firm’s goal is to have a zero landfill policy for electronic waste.

Plastics, steel, copper and circuitry boards are separated and processed into a form that has a value the firm can sell. He said, for example, plastic can be recycled into toys and picture frames. Circuitry boards are refined to capture precious metals and then reused in new circuitry boards.

Recycling electronic waste reduces the impact on the country’s landfills, Burns said.

“Landfills are meant to deal with organic waste. Landfills aren’t built to handle any electronic waste,” he added.

Most items have some sort of circuit component, Burns said, noting the once simple hula hoop that he played with now has lights on it that use a circuit board. Another example is cell phones. Statistics show that 16 percent are recycled and the rest end up in a landfill.

“We are contaminating our landfills with heavy metals. Metals are in everything,” Burns said.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Robyn Reed, director of Boston Mountain Sold Waste District, stands in front of some electronics dropped off at the facility, 11398 Bond Road, Prairie Grove. This is the last week that residents can drop off up to 10 old or broken electronic items for...